Page 363 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

330 Part 3 Putting Theory Into Practice

remember to cover your posters until you are ready to talk about them, reveal-
ing each one as you get to the point it reinforces. When you are done with a
poster, either move to the next one you plan on using or cover it up. Otherwise it
will be a distraction for your audience.

Flip Charts

There are two types of fl ip charts; one is basically text, and the other is for
fl ip chart
recording ideas as participants generate them. Although less common than they
Large tablet used to
once were, fl ip charts are still used in business seminars. Typically, speakers
preview the outline of a
presentation or to record write down what they want to share ahead of time and reveal the information as
information generated by the presentation progresses. To control the pace of delivery, the speaker may use
an audience. blank sheets between points so the audience stays on the topic under consider-
ation. Are fl ip charts a good medium for you and your purposes? They can be
cumbersome, especially for those unaccustomed to using them. The pages can
prove diffi cult to fl ip and require you to temporarily break off direct eye contact
with your audience. They also require legible writing and minimum artistic skill
if drawn on.
If you must use a fl ip chart to write or draw on, be sure the paper is thick
enough that your writing or drawing will not bleed through to the next page.
Better yet, prepare the fl ip chart well in advance of your speech.

Overheads

In a sense, overhead transparencies simply are posters made of plastic and
overhead
transparency projected with a light source. As a result, overhead transparencies make the
same set of demands on the user as poster boards. Overheads are still a popular
A visual depiction that
medium in lectures and classroom presentations. They have the advantage of
can be projected.
low cost and ease of preparation, and they can be used without dimming the
lights too much. Many classrooms and business conference rooms have over-
head projectors, although you should always check in advance to make sure
a projector is available and working. Also be sure to check out the equipment
in advance because you may be unfamiliar with the operational features of a
projector.
Overheads have many advantages, but not all speakers put them to good use.
Instructors are notorious for writing illegibly on them or cramming them with
so much information that they make your eyes blur. Speakers also can absent-
mindedly block their audience’s view of the projected overhead by standing over
the projector or standing between the projector and the screen on which the im-
age is displayed. Finally, a common mistake is for the speaker to either leave the
projector on with no image to project, or to continue projecting a transparency
with which the speaker is fi nished. Audience members are a little like the moth
and the fl ame in this regard. They have a tough time taking their eyes off what
is projected, even if it is simply a lighted but blank screen. Remember to always
turn off the projector when it isn’t in use. Be sure as well either to turn it off when
you are between points or to keep upcoming points covered until you are ready
to reveal them. What we said about poster boards is equally true of overheads:
You’ll need to practice care in both their construction and how you display them
as you deliver your speech.